In a co-injection molding application when a melt stream of core material and a melt stream of skin material are subjected to the high flowrates required to fill a mold for producing a large part in a short period of time, such as filling a mold for forming a 1 kg pail in 1.5 seconds, a hot runner co-injection nozzle may generate high levels of shear heating as well as localized shear heating peaks in multiple areas of an annular flow melt stream thereof. These shear peaks are inherent to the nature of annular flow geometry, and as is known may be resolved by reducing fill flowrate. However when a faster cycle time is desired, reducing a fill flow rate is not a viable solution. What is needed is a co-injection nozzle that reduces shear heating and creates a more even shear heating profile, thereby reducing shear heating peaks and valleys in core and skin material flow streams during a mold filling process having a faster cycle time.